A BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTION FOR THE TREATMENT OF EATING DISORDERS IN A PEDIATRIC ONCOLOGICAL POPULATION.
Item
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Title
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A BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTION FOR THE TREATMENT OF EATING DISORDERS IN A PEDIATRIC ONCOLOGICAL POPULATION.
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Identifier
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AAI8611336
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identifier
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8611336
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Creator
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DAVIS, DEBBIE.
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Contributor
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Thom Verhave
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Date
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1986
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Psychology, Experimental
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Abstract
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This study examined the effects of a behavioral intervention for the treatment of eating disorders in four pediatric oncological patients. The patients were referred by hospital staff as demonstrating refusal to eat or vomiting caused by non-physiological factors. All patients were being fed by artificial means (i.e. total parenteral nutrition) which when given long term can cause serious medical and physiological complications. Assessment included a four day baseline observation of possible antecedents, consequences, or circumstances related to the eating disturbance.;An eating program was designed to include recognition of observed nutritional, behavioral, and developmental level of the patient within a common behavioral framework. Programs for the three children included the following common behavioral components; oral stimulation, modelling, and social reinforcement. For the adolescent patient, the program included teaching new eating skills and establishment of a reward system structured within a behavioral contract. In addition, all programs drew on principles which emphasized learning to eat in a social context. Parents and nurses were taught to implement the programs to facilitate generalization across individuals and later enhance transfer of eating behavior to the new environment. After discharge, follow-up was done periodically over a minimum of six months to insure continued eating. If necessary, follow-up booster sessions and/or nutritional counseling were provided. The results indicate that a behavioral intervention is effective in promoting normal eating patterns and replacing artificial means of nourishment in a cancer and immune deficient population. At the end of the treatment period all four patients were consuming adequate oral intake for weight maintenance or growth. The intervention presents a useful technique for rapid restoration of normal eating that should be built into the overall rehabilitation of an oncological patient.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
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Program
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Psychology
